According to the State Grain Administration, by the end of March, the grain firms of China had bought 62.24 million tonnes of new corn in major producing areas, with state-owned firms' purchases at 15.71 million tonnes or 25% of the total output.

Meanwhile, the domestic grain companies had purchased 28.86 million tonnes of new japonica rice by then, with 62% procured by state firms.

The National Bureau of Statistics said that the country's corn output reached 191.75 million tonnes in 2011, a jump of 8.2% over a year earlier, and its rice production rose 2.6% to 200.78 million tonnes.